Landscaping company fined $4,000 for obstructing public drain

SINGAPORE - A local landscaping company was fined $4,000 by the Public Utilities Board (PUB) on Thursday for obstructing a public drain.

On March 4, PUB officers found a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe, a submersible pump and plywood in a drain at 559 Thomson Road. Hawaii Landscape was charged under the Sewerage and Drainage Act with placing these objects in the drain without approval.

The offence carries a maximum fine of $20,000.

In a statement on Friday, PUB said public drains here are meant to convey rainwater quickly during storms and should be kept free-flowing at all times.

It said: "The placement of any objects in or across public drains, without prior approval, is not allowed as this will interfere with rainwater flow, and may result in flash floods in the event of intense storms."

The statutory board added that members of the public can alert its 24-hour call centre at 1800 284 6600 should they witness such acts.

The Straits Times

We have been experiencing some problems with subscriber log-ins and apologise for the inconvenience caused. Until we resolve the issues, subscribers need not log in to access ST Digital articles. But a log-in is still required for our PDFs.